Author: Rabbi Stan Halpern

A couple of weeks ago -- probably longer when you read this – I was reminded of a major surprise I had a good ten…

Last week I received in the mail something I have never received before.  Most of my friends had received it, some many times.  But not…

Last year about this time I wrote about Purim and Shabbat Zachor. The lesson of this Shabbat is perhaps one of the most powerful lessons…

Coming up in the summer is a challenging and troubling Torah portion -- Parshat Korach. We read from the Torah about Korach's rebellion against Moses…

I recently read an interesting article by Shalom Auslander. While focusing mostly on his mother, his piece also touched on one of the most serious…

Not so long ago I had the opportunity to sit in on a discussion of Andrew Schmookler’s work focusing on his Parable of the Tribes. …

Thanksgiving Day is based on the Jewish holiday of Sukkot.  While in many ways these two celebrations are very different, both of these holidays encourage…

Those of you who were at High Holy Days Services were introduced to “Halpern’s Rules”.  These rules were developed over years of study of Torah,…

Picture this – Spokane, Washington, October 31, 1952.  A Cowboy and a Ghost ring the doorbell of an elderly couple’s apartment. “Whose little boys are…

The story of Cain and Abel, the first two children of Adam and Eve, is loaded with strange images and statements, not the least of…